Trips > Costa Rica > Caribbean Costa Rica

Caribbean Costa Rica

Your Caribbean adventure would begin in San Jose and could include a 4 day stay at Chimuri in thatch roof cabinas near Puerto Viejo de Limon and the black sand beaches, hikes in the forest and to the waterfall, with guided visits to the Bribri Indian Reservation, iguana propagation project, agro-forestry farm, banana plantation, and APTA small growers cooperative to market organic cacao (chocolate, banana and ginger). You will have the opportunity to learn about proposed oil exploration along the Caribbean and its impact on the culture and the ecosystem. We usually visit a school and donate school supplies we have brought with us.

The next portion begins with a boat ride to Tortuguero National Park with a chance of seeing lots wildlife along the way. Green sea turtles nest at night on the beaches here in summer and fall. An unforgettable experience. Hikes and boat rides with local naturalists in this lowland Atlantic slope forest yield sightings of howler monkeys, iguana, caiman, turtles, otter, anhinga, roseate spoon bill, three toed sloth, white-faced monkeys, ibis, ant eaters, coatimundi, agouti, etc.

The third portion of the trip begins with a boat ride to the northeastern corner of Costa Rica where the Tortuguero Canal connects with the San Juan River, the border with Nicaragua, and then up the Sarapiqui River to La Selva Biological Station, one of the most studied tropical places on the planet. Fabulous forest, slide shows on the research being done there, walks in the forest with scientists and meals in the dining room with working biologists all give you a close up picture of what science in the field is like. A final fling includes a visit to El Bosque Eterno de los Niños, The Eternal Forest of the Children, and an overnight at the foot of Arenal Volcano, one of the most active in the world. Return to San Jose, museum time, farewell dinner.